Lacquer Box for Clothes
19th century
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 5/8 x 7 1/2 in. (14.3 x 19.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture
Japan
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
JP2158
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Asian Art collection, *Lacquer Box for Clothes is a exquisite 19th-century woodblock printsurimono) by Ryūryūkyo Shinsai. Created with ink and color on paper this intimate work measures just 5⅝ × 7½ inches (14.3 × 19.1 cm), perfect for personal appreciation. Part of the renowned H.. Havemeyer Collection bequeathed in 1929, it the refined artistry of Japan's Edo period. Surim, meaning "printed things," were privately commissioned prints, often produced in limited editions for special occasions like New Year's greetings or poetry gatherings. Unlike ma...
About the Artist
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai · 1799–1823
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (柳々居辰斎), active from 1799 to 1823, was a prominent Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker based in Edo (modern Tokyo), renowned for his mastery of surimono—luxurious, privately commissioned woodblock prints produced for elite poetry circles and New Year's celebrations. He began his training under Tawaraya Sōri before becoming a student of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, from whom he recei...